Automatic carbonator



March 18, 1941. H. R. coNKLlN AUTOMATIC CARBONATOR Filed Aug. e, 195s 71 Y maize Patented Mar/18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AU'roMA'rro oAnBoNA'ron. Harry n. Conklin, Los Angeles, calli. Application August s, 193s, serial Nn. zzalsz s claims. (ci zel- 115) My invention relates to a carbonator especially designed for carbonating liquids that are prepared and served as beverages in cafes, soda fountains and the like and the principal objects of my invention are, to provide a carbonator that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture, entirely automatic in operation and which is compact in structure so as to occupy comparatively little space when installed for use.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a carbonator that vincludes two main parts, a tank and a head or cover plate therefor, which latter may be easily and quickly applied to or removed from the tank and carries on its outer face the switch that controls the water pump driving motor, a pressure gauge, the water inlet from the pump and a safety blow-off valve and the under face of the removable cover carrying all of those parts that are contained within the tank, for instance, the water spraying means, the carbonated liquid draw-off duct, the agitator and the oat that controls the operation of .the motor circuit control switch. Thus the removal of the head or cover from the tank renders immediately available all mechanical parts of the carbonator with .the exception of the pump unit which is separately connected to a driving motor and is connected to the carbonator tank by a pipe.

Such construction enables the carbonator tank 3 to be lined with -a solid one-piece liner of un which may be easily spun to proper shape and inserted into the tank without necessitating the soldering of a number of joints as usually required in the lining of the tank.

The cover plate carries on its under side a ilat sheet of tin lining to which the lower ends of the bushings that pass through .the cover plate may be readily soldered to produce uid pressure tight joints and thus the re-lining of .the carbonator tank may be very expeditiously and economically accomplished.

Further objects of my invention are, to provide a carbonatorof the character referred to in the lower portion of the tank through an ejector, thus providing an agitator that eiects a thorough mixing of the inowing gas with the water or other liquid and at the same time thor- 50 oughly circulating the latter and further, to introduce the water or other liquid into the upper portion of the tank by means of mist spray nozzles with .the result that the water in the form of mist immediately absorbs the gas that has 55 bubbled upwardly through the liquid in the lower wherein the CO2 gas is introduced into the liquid portion of the tank and passed into the upper portion of the chamber of said tank.

A further object of my invention is, to provide a carbonator wherein the liquid level within the tank is controlled by an inside float that` actu- 5 ates an electric switch on top of the tank and which switch controls the operation of the pump actuating motor.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in certain novel features 10 of construction and arrangement of parts that will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a carbonator con- 15 structed in accordance with my invention.'

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical view including the pump operating motor, the circuit in which said 20 motor is located and the switch thatcontrols said circuit.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged horizontal section taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal section of the 25 agitator that includes an ejector tube carried by the discharge end of the gas inlet duct.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of my invention, Ill designates a tank preferably pressed from suitable sheet metal and having an ellipsoidal bottom II and suitably secured to the lower end oi said tank is a base ring I2. Projecting outwardly from the upper end ofthe tank body is a ange I3 and overlying said flange 35 and the entire inner face of the tank body is a lining I4 of tin which may be conveniently shaped by'` spinning or otherwise and inserted in the body without the necessity for soldering operations.

Positioned on top of the tank and detachably secured thereto by means of cap screws or bolts I5 is a cover plate or head I6, the under side of which is faced with a lining sheet Il of tin.

Seated in the central portion of the cover plate is abushing I8 to which is suitably connected a duct I9 that conveys the water or other liquid, that isto be carbonated, to the tank and located in this duct is a conventional check valve 20. Pipe I9 leads from a pump 2l, preferably driven 50 by an electric motor 22 and located in the motor circuit 23 is a suitable switch 2l -ofA a type readily obtainable in the open market. This switch is preferably located on a bracket -25 that is secured on top of cover plate I6. A duct, preferably a pipe 26 leads ironia suitable liquid Supply t0 Dump 2|.`

on the end of said cross armis a bell crank 32,- the end oi' the long arm of which carries a iioat Secured to and depending ironr'the lowerend of bushing I3 is a short'pipe 21, to the lower end of whichis suitably connected aplurali-ty oi' fittings 23, each of which includes a mist spray nozale 23 that is positioned S10-as to discharge spray in mist form upwardly against the under side of the cover plate.A y

Rigidly secured to cover plate I6 and depending therefrom isa rod 3l, thelower end of which carries a short cross arm 3| and mounted to swing 33. Secured to and projecting from the lower portion of rod` 30 and disposed at right angles to the cross member 3|, is an arm 34 that p'rovides 'a bearing for the lower end of a vertically disposed rod 35, the latter occupying a position parallel with rod 30.

.Secured to the lower portion of rod 35 is a short crank arm 36 provided with an aperture 31 and pivotally engagedin said aperture, is one end of a link 38, the other end being pivotally connected to the short arm of bell crank 32 and which short arm projects upwardly at right angles to the long arm of said bell crank. As a .result of the construction just described, rod 35 y will be partially rotated as; the float 33 .moves upwardly and downwardly with the rise and fall of the level of the carbonatedy liquid within the tank.

Row 35 passes through a stuiling box 39 that is seated in cover plate I6 and mounted on the upper portion of said rodl above said stuiling box,

-is a crank arm 40 that is adapted to engage and A and depending from bushing 43 is a pipe l44, to

the lower' end of which connected an elbow 45, preferably a street L, and the latter b'eing connectedto one end of a T 45a, that is seated lin one end of a short horizontally disposed pipe 46, that is located in the lower portion of the tank I0.

49, the end of which terminates in the intermedie suitably connected` to and depending from pipe 46 adjacent the L 45, is a short vertically disposed tube 41 open at both ends and a similar tube 48 is connected to and depends from the other end of pipe 46.

Seated in the end of theeibow or street L 45 that connects to the T 45a, is an ejector nozzle ate portion of pipe 46 between the depending pipes 41 and 48 (see Fig. 5).

Duct 4| leads and is suitably connected to a source of CO2 gas, for instance, a conventional tank or container.

A' pressure gauge 52 is seated in a bushing 5| which is seated in cover plate |6.

The means for drawing olf carbonated liquid from the tank includes a bushing 53 that is seated in cover plate I6 and connected to and dependingfrom said bushing is a tube 54, the open lower end of vwhich terminates at or near the bottom of tank i0. Connected to the external portion of bushing 53, is the lower end of a manually `operable valve 55 and leading therefrom is a duct 56, preferably a pipe, that leads to the point where the carbonated liquid is used.

, Seated in cover plate |6 is a bushing 51 to which is connected a conventional safety blow-oil valve 53 and a drain cock 59.

2,235,357 source of water or 'I'he operation of my improved carbonator is as' follows:`

Assuming that the level ci the carbonated liquid within the tank is lowand that the iloat 33 occupies a position substantially as shown in Fig. 2, switch 2 4..is closed due to the position of the floatand the connections between said float and rod 35 and, under such conditions motor 22 drives pump 2| to force liquidfrom supply pipe 23 through pipes I3 and 21 to the spray nozzles 2l, so that spray in mist form is discharged upwardly through the` upper portion of the chamber within .the tank. CO:4 gas or the like is permitted to discharge through pipe 4| past check valve 42 and thence through pipe 44 and the gas in jet form discharges from the ejector nozzle 43 into the intermediate portion of pipe 46. Inasmuch as pipes 41 and 43 are wholly submerged in the liquid in the lower portion of the tank, the discharge of gas from the ejector nozzle functions to draw liquid upwardly .through pipe 41 and such liquid is discharged with the jet of gas downthe water or other liquid that issues in spray mist' form from the jet nozzles 29, thus effecting comp.ete carbonating of the liquid.

As the level of the carbonated liquid rises in the lower portion of the tank, iloat 33 will move upward and through connections 38 and 36, shaft 35 will be rotated so as to swing arm 40 to a posi.

tion to cause switch 24 to open, thus opening .the motor circuit which brings about cessation of operation of the pump and consequently cutting off further delivery of water or other liquid to be carbonated to the tank. The carbonated liquid is withdrawn from the-tankthrough pipe 54 by opening valve 55 and the use of the pressure gauge 52 enables the pressure within the tank to be observed at all times. The drain cock 53 enables the air to be discharged from the upper portion of the tank before beginning carbonating Operations All of the parts and ttings Within the tank should be formed of stainless steel, silver-plated or carefully tinned.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided an automatic carbonator that is relatively simple in construction, inexpensive of manufacture and very eilective in performing the functions for which it is intended. i

Among the especially desirable features of my invention are, the mounting of-all operating parts and fittings upon the cover plate so that the removal of the latter from the tank immediately makes available, all mechanical parts of the apparatus lother than the pump unit which is separately hooked up to the motor and is connectedl to the tank by a single pipe. Further, the provision of the agitator and the mist spray nozzles are eiective in bringing about a thorough mixture of the gas with the water or other liquid and the level of the carbonated liquid is controlled by the iloat located within the tank.

It will be understood that minor changes in the size, form and construction of the various parts' of my improved automatic carbonator, may be made and substituted for those herein shownand described, without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope o! which is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

l. In a carbonator, the combination with a pump, a motor for driving said pump and the circuit in which said motor is located, of a tank, a cover plate removably mounted on said tank, a duct leading from the pump through said cover plate, spray nozzles connected to said duct within the tank, means carried by the cover plate for admitting gas to the tank, a switch located in the motor circuit and mounted on said cover plate and means actuated by the liquid level within the tank for actuating said switch.

2. In a carbonator, the combination with a pump, a motor for driving said pump and the circuit in which said motor is located. of a tank, a cover plate removably mounted on said tank, a duct leading from the pump through said cover plate, spray nozzles connected to said duct within the tank, means carried by the cover plate for admitting gas to the tank, means carried by the gas admission means for eilecting agitation of the liquid within the tank, a switch located in l the motor circuit and mounted on said cover plate and a float actuated bythe liquid level within the tank for actuating said switch.

3. In a carbonator, a tank, a cover plate removably mounted on said tank, a duct can'ied by said cover plate for admitting liquid to b e carbonated into said tank, float actuated means for controlling the admission oi.' liquid said tank,

means for causing the admitted liquid to dis charge in spray form upwardly into the upper portion of the chamber within the tank, a duct carried by the removable cover plate for conveylng gas into the tank and means carried by said 5 gas admission means and located within the tank vbelow the normal level of the liquid therein for utilizing the admitted gas to effect an agitation of the liquid contained within the tank.

4. In a carbonator, the combination with a lo tank, of means ior admitting and spraying liquid under pressure into said tank, a gas actuated agitator for admitting gas into the tank, a oat within said tank for controlling the admission of liquid into the tank, a removable cover plate for 15 said tank, which cover plate carries the liquid supplying and spraying means. the gas actuated agitator and said iloat; and means for withdrawing carbonated liquid from the tank.

5. In a carbonator, the combination with a 20 tank, of means for admitting and spraying liquid under pressure intoA said tank. a gas actuated agitator for admitting gas into the tank, a float within said tank for controlling the admission ot liquid into the tank, a removable cover plateior 25 said tank, which cover plate carries the liquid supplying and spraying means. the gas actuated agitator and said oat; a removable spun tin 1ining for said tank and means for withdrawing carbonated liquid from the tank. 3o

HARRY R. CONKLIN. 

